Thursday, 26 May 2016

Intervention in Libya coming?

Weird
things are happening in the Mediterranean Sea. Almost
simultaneously three countries in the Mediterranean have closed their
airspace and territories for aircraft departing from Libya. The
exceptions are very few and involve the transport of military and
evacuees. At
the same time, three NATO exercises are taking place but the airspace
closure and directly little to do with that.

The
first country to close its airspace for aircraft departing from
Libya” was Italy, followed by Malta. Today it was Greece’s turn.
All three countries issued relevant NOTAMs:

Italy
on May 11 and closes the airspace May 11 – August 8 2016,
consequently at the same period Malta that issued the NOTAM on May
12.

Greece’s
NOTAM was issued today, May 25th and the period for banning aircraft

departed from Libya to overflight and land is given as May 25th
– September 8, 2016.

The
overlapping FIR closure period by the three countries is actually May
25 – August 8 2016.

What
is interesting in the Greek NOTAM are aircraft like “military
aircraft of other nations, state flights or other VIP flights,
ambulance flights” are not affected by the ban. Italy
records also some exceptions but not of “ambulance aircraft.”

Why
do Greece, Italy and Malta need to close their airspace and
territories to aircraft departing from Libya? Is there something the
NATO allies have on their mind? Or the NATO itself? Something like an
imminent intervention against Libya? It was beginning of April when
US President Barack Obama and Secretary General Jens Stoltenrbg had
declared that they could help Libya to face the Islamic Caliphate.

Defense
news website OnAlert.gr that
brought up this exclusive story, notes that there is already since
May 17th the NATO exercise “Phoenix
Express 2016”
(Phoenix 2016) taking
part off the island of Crete.

The
exercise scenarios focus geographically in North Africa, The forces
that participate in Phoenix 2016 are: Algeria, Egypt, Greece, Italy,
Malta, Mauritania, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey and the United
States.

“The
at-sea portion of the exercise will test North African, European, and
U.S. forces’ abilities to combat illegal migration, illicit
trafficking, and movement of materials for weapons of mass
destruction. Additionally, participating forces will work together to
practice procedures of search-and-rescue in cases where vessels are
in distress. Participating Maritime Operations Centers (MOCs) will
exercise information sharing practices.”

Exercise
Phoenix Express is one of three U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S.
6th Fleet facilitated regional exercises.